Coating choices

I currently have C1 topped w exo v1 on my 05 silverstone 350z. It's very glossy, beads water amazingly, and has an excellent shine. It definitely gets noticed a lot.

I put opti -coat 2.0 on a 2007 silver accord the other day. Beads nicely, will last a long time, but doesn't give paint that same pop.
 
mainecarcare said:
How did you get rid of the hazing? Do you think that if I just wait the 12-24 hour range before applying EXO everything will be ok?
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The hazing had to be compounded off. After the paint was bare, the GTechniq detailer applied C1 and only waited an hour or so before topping with EXO. Personally, I think you would be fine but it may be worth asking GTechniq to find out just exactly what they're recommending now.
 
Thanks for the input everyone.

They recommend waiting between 3-12 hours to top it with Exo, if you wait longer then 12 hours the c1 becomes to hard.
 
Not to thread jack and this is directed at everyone, but if your going through all the prep leading up to a coating, why wouldn't the choice always be Opti-Coat? It's the only coating product that is permanent?
 
KJW Detailing said:
Not to thread jack and this is directed at everyone, but if your going through all the prep leading up to a coating, why wouldn't the choice always be Opti-Coat? It's the only coating product that is permanent?
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Because of the way some of the coatings work, some allow for a "topper" to stay on longer. Where as if you top OC with some spray wax or sealant, it doesn't bond well with the OC and will only last a very short time. Also the looks of the coatings can vary too.

But assuming in a production world, it could be cost of product vs cost of time to apply product.<--- This is my understanding, please correct me if I am wrong. For both paragraphs.


I have now applied OC2 onto two separate cars. One using the syringe method and one using a little spray bottle. I fully recommend the coating as if you maintain it well it is awesome, and the spray bottle application made it super easy.
 
KJW Detailing said:
Not to thread jack and this is directed at everyone, but if your going through all the prep leading up to a coating, why wouldn't the choice always be Opti-Coat? It's the only coating product that is permanent?
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Opticoat is the undisputed king of durability, no doubt about it. But many can agree that it is not the best looking LSP so for those who prioritize looks, Opticoat is not the best choice for them.
 
You both raised really good points! Maybe just due to my location (NJ) and the weather we receive here, I put looks aside for the ultimate in durability.
 
Has anyone compared Opti-Coat Pro and Opti-Coat 2.0 yet? What are the major différences between the two? I have to buy some coating real soon and I am pretty sure I want to go with Opti-Coat, I am just unsure what version I should get.

As for the high points, from what I understand all you have to do to prevent them is to buff the coating with a microfiber towel within 10 minutes of applying it? What kind of buffing is needed? Very soft or with some pressure? Does the microfiber towel type make a difference?

I have not rules out DP coating nor CQuartz but from all I have seen and read, Opti-Coat seems to have the upper hand on it's competitor by a slight margin. Would that be a correct statement?
 
Likely a stupid idea, but here goes anyway...

Since Opti-Coat 2.0 can be layered, and because it isn't slick, couldn't you theoretically top it with a different coating, such as CQuartz, that does have that visual "pop" to it? Sure, it probably isn't going to last as long, but it might be an interesting experiment... Has anyone tried it yet?

If nobody has, I might try this on my car since I have both OC and CQ.

*duck*
 
Opti-Coat hands down. CQUARTZ is good but isnt as easy to apply. Now if you want to go the extra mile, you should look into Ceramic Pro, 9H and top with Pro Light.
 
mainecarcare said:
Thanks for the input everyone.

They recommend waiting between 3-12 hours to top it with Exo, if you wait longer then 12 hours the c1 becomes to hard.
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Hmmm. This is slightly different from what a GTechniq employee told me. As he described it, you wait until the surface doesn't grab the microfiber. In his words:

Hi Kevin,

You should wait long enough so that the surface is not “grabby” when you apply the EXO. This can be as much as 24 hours but much shorter if the car is left in hot sunshine (!).
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This is the message that I received from Rob from gtechniq

the issue is that it can be hard to remove exo from c1 that has cured for too long. if you apply c1 and apply exo between 3 and 12 hours afterwards you will have no issues.


kevincwelch said:
Hmmm. This is slightly different from what a GTechniq employee told me. As he described it, you wait until the surface doesn't grab the microfiber. In his words:
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Which will protect the paint better as in terms of scratches?
 
RaskyR1 said:
  • Opti-Coat Pro for max protection.
  • CQuartz Finest for the look, water sheeting, ease of use, and 2+ year protection.
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I have to agree with Chad on these! I am fortunate I have access to them. For the consumer, I would go CQUARTZ UK as I hear it is very easy and looks great!
 
Old Tiger said:
I have to agree with Chad on these! I am fortunate I have access to them. For the consumer, I would go CQUARTZ UK as I hear it is very easy and looks great!
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How can I get opti coat pro?
 
C quartz topped with reload

Sent from my SCH-I605 using AG Online
 
mainecarcare said:
This is the message that I received from Rob from gtechniq

the issue is that it can be hard to remove exo from c1 that has cured for too long. if you apply c1 and apply exo between 3 and 12 hours afterwards you will have no issues.
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That's helpful. Thanks for the update!:props:
 
zmcgovern45 said:
As far as appearance... 22ple VX1 Pro gets my vote as far as coatings available to consumers. It also provides very good protection, but it won't last more than 2 years.
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Great to see some results from a 22PLE application! It looks fantastic.

I offer Opti-Coat 2.0, CQuartz and 22PLE. I have applied more Opti-Coat coatings to clients over the last few months. It is of course too early to say how it handles time with abuse, but my clients all rave about how easy it is to clean their vehicles and how bug removal is the easiest they have dealt with. I do highly recommend this to daily driver vehicles that rack up miles. I would also recommend doing a good sealant or wax to keep up maintenance of it like you would your OEM clearcoat, even though its not necessary. This gives a deeper gloss that can compare to CQuartz.

I have CQuartz (not finest) on my vehicle and I wish I had a photo with me offshore right now but I have to say its been six months and the hydrophobic effects are as advertised. The only thing I do is after washing it from being gone five weeks, I spray sealant on after drying. The reflectivity of CQuartz is amazing on metallic paint. I have also applied CQuartz on two clients' vehicles and they love it as well. I have yet to use 22PLE but its great to see it has the showroom finish look like CQuartz.
 
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